Various sensing systems currently exist for performing collision warning and countermeasure system operations, such as detection, classification, tracking, and relative distance and velocity estimation of objects within a close proximity of a host vehicle. Sensing systems also exist for performing other sensing system operations, such as windshield wiper and defogger operations, occupant sensing, classification, and tracking operations, and adaptive cruise control operations.
Collision warning and countermeasure systems operations include providing a vehicle operator knowledge and awareness of vehicles and objects that are within a close proximity of the host vehicle to prevent colliding with those objects. Countermeasure systems exist in various passive and active forms. Some countermeasure systems are used to aid in the prevention of a collision, others are used to aid in the prevention of an injury to a vehicle occupant.
Certain collision warning and countermeasure systems are able to sense an object within a close proximity of the host vehicle and warn the host vehicle operator, such that the operator can take precautionary steps to prevent a collision or injury. Other collision warning and countermeasure systems activate passive or active countermeasures such as airbags, load limiting seatbelts, or brake control whereby the system itself aids in the prevention of a collision or an injury.
Occupant related operations include detecting occupant characteristics, determining which safety system countermeasures to perform, and adjusting times and rates of the countermeasures. Example restraint countermeasures that may be enabled are seat belt pretensioners and airbags. Occupant characteristics may include occupant positions within a seat, occupant size and weight, or other known physical occupant characteristics.
It is desirable to understand not only the physical characteristics of a vehicle driver, but also to understand the mental characteristics or mental state of mind of a vehicle driver. Knowledge of a driver state of mind can aid in the performance of collision warning and countermeasure systems. Such knowledge is not available with traditional collision warning and countermeasure systems. Thus, there exists a need for an improved collision warning and countermeasure system that accounts for a vehicle occupant state of mind. It is also desirable that such knowledge be obtained without interfering with driver focus and normal driving tasks, such as maintenance of driver hands on the steering wheel and driver eyesight on the road ahead.